Curated OER
Drums of War
Students research the political climate prior to major American wars of the past, then reflect on the current call for power to confront Iraq. They create posters using newspaper articles and headlines to highlight the major opinions of...
Curated OER
Stately Statements
Students closely read President Bush's State of the Union address, then develop interviews and write articles to assess a variety of points of view about The proposals offered in the speech.
Curated OER
Know The Code
Students explore how codes of conduct guide our daily lives. After learning about specific codes of conduct, students write articles exploring aspects of different codes and how they affect people in their community.
Curated OER
Judicial Void
Learners explore the impact of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. They research potential nominees to replace her, in light of her resignation, and write letters to President George W. Bush to share opinions of the...
Curated OER
Show Me the Story
Students examine the elements of a story, read a review of Chris Rock's new sitcom, "Everybody Hates Chris" and create original sitcom episodes based on their own lives.
Curated OER
The Final Countdown
Students examine the United States electoral college system as it applies to the 2004 presidential election. They investigate the impact of the twelve battleground states in the 2004 election and develop informative pamphlets on the...
Curated OER
From Basketball Court to Supreme Court
Learners discuss scenarios about unfairness and retaliation in school sports. They read about a recent Supreme Court ruling about Title IX, and research, conduct polls and write articles about public opinions on gender issues in sports.
Curated OER
Over-the-Counter Culture
Students explore the changing consumer habits of Americans of various socioeconomic classes. They examine the exact costs of products, services and interest rates mentioned in the article and reflect on their own spending habits and...
Curated OER
Members Only
Students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of private communities and the lives led by their residents. They design ideal planned communities for people featured in other Class Matters articles.
Curated OER
Chilling Predictions
Students research and prepare an almanac on the Arctic. They examine the laws that attempt to provide jurisdiction over this area and consider how these laws be affected if geography of the Arctic continues to change due to global warming.
Curated OER
In the Wake of a Storm
Students share thoughts about the effects of Hurricane Katrina on Louisiana's natural environment. They read an online article and write proposals to save Mississippi River marshlands.
Curated OER
Nightmare in Minnesota
Students read and discuss the article "10 Are Dead in Minnesota After Rampage at School." students explore their reactions to school violence and interventions to prevent its occurance.
Curated OER
Connecting Immigrants In Black And White
Students explore the many ways that ethnic newspapers help immigrants in the United States stay connected to their cultures and countries of origin. They write articles for ethnic newspapers.
Curated OER
Going For The Gold
Students share opinions about athlete endorsements. They write articles that provide an economic profile of an athlete for submission to their school newspaper.
Curated OER
Typecasting Roles
Students read and discuss various news articles where an element of surprise was present about the criminal and the crime. They research a news story, present the information in the form of a newscast, and write an opinion piece.
Curated OER
Exhibiting Hope
Students watch a video clip about the effect of Hurricane Katrina. They examine the challenges that New Orleans still faces a year after the hurricane. They work together in small groups to create a museum exhibit on a topic of interest...
Curated OER
Giving It the Old College Try
Students discuss opinions they have about entering college. Reading an article on advice from parents, they discuss what their own parents are telling them. They role-play different conflict resolution scenerios. They also write a...
Curated OER
Interview With A Psychoanalyst
Students discuss health topics they would like to know more about. They read an article interviewing a psychoanalyst. They resarch any questions they have about a specific scienctist. They write their own newspaper article using...
Curated OER
A More Perfect Union?
Students read and discuss the article "Bush Insists U.S. Must Not Fail in Iraq." They work in small groups to answer three questions based on their category by searching for the answers in the article read in class.
Curated OER
A Different World?
Students share their opinions in a brainstorming session on the factors that contribute to their quality of life. They read the article "Life Is Better; It Isn't Better. Which Is It?," from the NY Times and discuss the article as a...
Curated OER
Something Fishy?
Students try to draw and identify a jellyfish from a physical description. After reading an article, they discover new information about cnidarians. In groups, they research and develop dioramas about a specific cnidarian species. They...
Curated OER
Maven Makeover?
Students reflect on the role of prisons and discuss how they believe sentencing should be handed down. After reading an article, they discover the experiences Martha Stewart went through while in prison. In groups, they share their...
Curated OER
2004 Better and For Worse
Students identify the significant events that helped shape 2004. After reading an article, they take a 2004 news quiz and discuss the impact of each event. They create their own quizzes to be given to their classmates on the same...
Curated OER
Held Accountable
Students examine and draw conclusions from an excerpt from a slave narrative. They analyze excerpts from two recently discovered slave narratives.
They draw connections among the narrative excerpts and historical texts by investigating...